Good morning. A bright picture to start the day, along with my second cup of rich coffee and I'm ready to type. A good frame of mind is necessary to do this and all the help I can get as well as what medium I get it from helps. A few flies here, the first couple of them were tied with CDC. I never tried fishing them but they looked good on the vise.
The CDC spider. This one tied on a curved hook.
Another CDC fly...looks like it might be eaten.
These next two spiders are tied on some pretty cool looking hooks. They are Mustad 94842, they feature an up-turned eye. This one has a mole dubbed thorax and a very nice feather for it's hackle. The feather is from a partridge and is located on the shoulder.
This fly also tied on the up-turned eye hook. It features a sparse dubbed body of natural mole and another feather from the partridge shoulder.
Fumbling through Smiths' book North Country Flies I found this fly. Most of the materials I can't get but from the description I think it looked like this. I fished this the other day and it was working well until a tree ate it.
I love the 94842. It was a favorite of Pete Hidy, who used it to tie flymphs after the Allcock Long Mayfly hooks were no longer available.
ReplyDeleteWilliam Shuck
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Bill, Doug Duvall tied some flies for me and he used that hook. So I went to a few local fly shops to buy some and you know what, no one had them. They are a tough hook to get. I like the way certain flies look when tied on this hook. And now you tell me the 94842 was a favorite of Pete Hidy, well I had to locate a few more of them.
I am interested in the CDC spiders. I've used a CDC bodied caddies the last two years and find a much better uptake than my normal DHC. I am looking to incorporate some CDC into a "standard" to use through the spring in my dry-dropper routine, especially early on when I am less prone to detect subtle takes.
ReplyDeleteI will try a CDC thorax this weekend on a couple flymphs as I work on my two hand technique. I can see a dozen CDC spiders in the vice for Monday night tying session at the Grotto. I really appreciate this post.
CDC. Yea, should be using that. Hmmm. CDC.
spike
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The CDC caddis is a fly that has worked well over the years. Having seen a few emergers tied with cdc I said "give it a shot" though I've not fished these I can't say how they will hold up. The testing time is upon us.
I wish I knew your first name?
Nice looking flies, Alan.
ReplyDeleteThose trees can be voracious when they get a taste for well tied flies!
Cheers,
Steve.
Steve Hynes
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Steve I chuckled when I read your comment. Stopping to think, "he's right".
Good morning Sir! Nice patterns....love that first one.
ReplyDeleteRalph Long
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Ralph, there looks to be some gracious movement with those cdc flies. I can think of a gentle pool, say 8pm in June...hold on.
I'd like to have a dollar for every fly I've tied that's caught a tree. Nice looking flies Alan.
ReplyDeleteHoward Levett
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Howard just when your on a roll, fish striking the fly, catching a few and along comes a tree....
Usually it's right after I roll a fish and miss it......"OHH, sunnuva...." It's right after that a branch grabs my next back cast. :)
DeleteGreat flies, Alan. CDC must move around plenty in the water to make fly quite life like. Little fishing opportunity for me lately, I have looked at my flies and identified some that I didn't use for one reason or another. I have taken them apart and mostly tied soft hackles on the hooks. One can never go wrong having those in the arsenal.
ReplyDeleteIn case I don't post again, I want to wish you and Jeanette a nice Thanksgiving. Thanks for what you do here on your wonderful site.
Best, Sam
Parachute Adams
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Sam recycling hooks, that's right up my alley. When it's dark at 5 there's not much time for fishing the evening hatch. Late fall-winter fishing can be trying at times.
Well friend you and your family enjoy that great family holiday known as Thanksgiving.
Hi Alan. I like turned up eye hooks, as well. Might be my imagination but they seem to hook the fish better. I even tie, still water trout trolling patterns on heavy black turned up salmon hooks. Happy bird, you and yours!
ReplyDeleteJohn Dornik
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John I can't comment on the hooking qualities of the up-turned eye, but they sure look good.
Trolling flies on salmon hooks, that sounds very interesting.
Alan
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flies that catch both trout and the fisherman.
TROUT1
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Pete I can't remember who said that, "most flies in the bins are to catch fishermen" some truth to it.
Nothing to add as those above got it all. Just to let you know I stopped by.
ReplyDeleteMark Kautz
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Mark your alway's welcome and it's appreciated.
Alan
ReplyDeleteI would fish any of these patterns in cold or warm watergreat work at the vice--thanks for sharing